Amid mud season, a Vermonter finds the Boston Marathon to be just the rush

Vermonter Tim Noonan knows the long slog of winter, having seen this April spring more snow than showers.

The 67-year-old Montpelier resident is also well aware of the endurance test of life, having retired after a four-decade career resolving employment disputes as head of the state Labor Relations Board.

That’s why he’s happy to share his favorite shortcut around both: the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon.

Noonan qualified for his first in 1979. He was 22.

“It’s considered the premier marathon in the world,” he said in a recent interview.

On Monday, he’s set to again tackle the race. It will be his 22nd.

“I’m into it,” he summed up his love of the exhausting yet energizing sport.

Noonan has run 94 marathons on the East Coast in the past half-century, starting when he entered the Ocean State Marathon as a student at Rhode Island’s Providence College in 1977.

“I’ve done at least one marathon every year since.”

For the Massachusetts-born runner, Boston’s 128-year tradition and seemingly longer trials — take Heartbreak Hill at mile 20 — top all other events.

“I find the course more challenging than pretty much any other to try to get right.”

As a twentysomething, Noonan had to run under three hours to qualify for his 1979 Boston Marathon debut. Moving to Vermont a year later, he discovered an added incentive to earn entrance again.

“The winters up here are kind of tough, so it’s nice to look forward to.”

The former Montpelier High School cross-country coach trains almost daily, running some 45 miles a week and starting as early as 6 in the morning.

“I’ve been out there when it’s as cold as 20 below zero. You can dress for just about anything.”

That said, Noonan has faced surprises. He completed the 2013 event some 25 minutes before a bombing killed three people at the finish line.

“I had all kinds of contacts from all over, from people I hadn’t heard from in years,” he told reporters after. “I realized how small New England and the running community is.”

Noonan is one of 93 Vermont qualifiers this year. He’ll join five fellow runners in the 65-69 age group, including Nancy Elwess, 69, of North Hero; Harry Homeier, 66, of South Royalton; Jack Pilla, 65, of Charlotte; Brian Sherras, 66, of West Rupert; and Katherine Williams, 65, of Montpelier.

(Two others are more senior: Janis Campbell, 73, of Westford and Toshiharu Furukawa, 76, of Essex Junction.)

“They’ve made accommodations for older people,” Noonan said. “I’ve had almost no injuries, but you do slow down.”

Even so, Noonan could only qualify if he raced under 4 hours and 5 minutes in one of the four marathons he ran last year, which included those in Burlington, Maine and New York City.

This year’s Boston Marathon is set for broadcast Monday on WPTZ and ESPN2, with athletes starting between 9:02 and 11:15 a.m. as outlined on the event’s official website .

“Sometimes people ask, ‘Why do you ever do it more than once?’” Noonan said. “Every marathon is different.”

Then again, Boston is always a harbinger of spring.

“It’s not unusual that the first time I’m in shorts is when I run it.”

And a welcome reminder that, no matter how many finishes past, there’s still more road ahead.

Said Noonan: “I’m in this for the long run.”

Read the story on VTDigger here: Amid mud season, a Vermonter finds the Boston Marathon to be just the rush .